


Bent Flowers

by remi_wolf



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Echo Knights, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, dunamancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:22:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22284049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remi_wolf/pseuds/remi_wolf
Summary: Politics have grown more fraught in Xhorhas since the Mighty Nein last spent any length of time beyond a brief day or two. Essek's position is growing more delicate, and various Dens are pushing to have his removal due to his young age and the fact that he has yet to provide any proof that his work has done anything to help the Dynasty since the first stirrings of the war.Unfortunately for Essek, and unfortunately for Caleb, who merely desires to continue to learn from him, these politics have resulted in an assassination attempt at the Xhorhaus, both in an attempt to kill Essek, as well as to scare the Mighty Nein into leaving.Fortunately, Caleb will have none of it.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss & Caleb Widogast
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62
Collections: Beguilements and Distractions





	Bent Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> The title is merely an obscure reference to a myth--Echo and Narcissus, with Narcissus turning into flowers that bend over to look at their reflection. That's...it. There's nothing else to the title. Additionally, this is basically just a fight scene. 1 thousand blissful words of Essek trying to fight off this assassin, and then Caleb doing the same. Whether or not Essek survives is not contained within this short little story, though there may be another chapter posted eventually with that answered within.  
> Liberal liberties taken with the particulars about Dunamancy, as none has really been released yet that's suitable for fast-paced combat, but the other spells are played fairly straight. Additionally, the echo knight is currently my playground and I will not hear of any such things as rules until March when I get my hands on the book.  
> No edits, no betas, we die like men.

Echo Knights weren’t supposed to turn on their own people. Or, really, the Kryn people weren’t supposed to turn against their own Shadowhand. Well, maybe just one, though if Caleb knew anything about assassination attempts, far more people sympathized with the attacker than would voice the thoughts. As far as this would-be assassin was concerned, Caleb didn’t recognize them, though, then again, all of the Kryn soldiers looked the same with their armor on, and as this gentleperson made their way up the street, the armor made it difficult to even tell whether they were Drow or another race. Apparently Essek could, having murmured something about how unusual it was that Vorrizya was coming to collect him. Caleb had been about to ask who Vorrizya was before Essek pushed him to the ground. 

His head cracked against the paved path, and the world spun underneath him. Something was the matter, though, and Caleb forced himself to his hands and knees, looking in Essek’s direction. Either he was seeing multiples, or it was quite the display of Dunamancy he was witnessing between Essek and Vorizzya. 

After a ghostly after-image of Vorrizya’s kicked him further to the side when he crawled too close, he felt he had his answer. 

Caleb knew he couldn’t stand up to such a fighter. He knew he couldn’t, but Vorrizya clearly had the upper hand. Caleb could barely even keep track of the knight, his figure and form shifting and flickering around Essek. Even Essek seemed to struggle with the speed at which the echoes would form and disperse. One bolt of energy sparked from Essek’s hand, just to meet air. A hand would reach out of the earth, just to grab at the figure before it disappeared under its grip. 

Vorrizya’s movements didn’t slow, yet Caleb could see Essek’s movements start to slow. A wizard could only fight so long, even a prodigy such as Essek. Too many spells would take it out of anyone, and every time Caleb tried to get close, he would be kicked aside or Essek would teleport hm to a safer distance, wasting a precious spell and moments of concentration.

And then it happened.

In a battle between two opponents, it only takes one moment to slip and the battle’s balance to tilt into the opposite’s favor. The majority of a duel is spent waiting for that moment. 

Caleb knew that. Trent etched it into his soul, alongside with the need to serve the Empire at all costs.

Essek knew it, cursing as he did even before Vorrizya’s blade finally slipped through the cloaks, spells, and shields, burying itself to the hilt in Essek’s soft stomach.

The world went white, and then red.

Honestly, Caleb despised fighting, and he always had. Eodwulf fought. Caleb led. Or, more often, Caleb interrogated. He would do that, and then he would dispose of the evidence. Astrid assassinated. Trent was very clever about ensuring they wouldn’t needlessly overlap, and so could more efficiently lead the others as needed. 

Adventuring made sure that one became remarkably proficient in battle, however. 

Caleb pulled himself to his feet, phosphorus already being rolled in his hand before he dragged the opposite hand across it, igniting the path between Essek and himself. Vorrizya would be forced to deal with him alone, unless he wanted to jump through the bonfire between them. The motion nearly made him miss the sword swinging at his head, but he tilted it to the side, even if he could still feel it tug at his hair. Caleb quickly scrambled back, hands diving into his material pouch to prepare the next spell. His free hand conjured up missiles while he searched for the appropriate components. His hands were fumbling, though, and while the small missiles of energy hit their target true, an echo’s sword bit into Caleb’s side, and he couldn’t stifle the sound. Stupid. So stupid. He should have remembered that. The wall of flames flickered in his momentary distraction, but he forced it to remain standing, to keep Vorrizya’s attention on himself, before finally finding a chip of mica. That would work for now. 

As it snapped in his hand, a ringing came from a point next to Vorrizya’s body, cracking the pavement below his feet, but Vorrizya seemed unbothered by it. At least, _that_ Vorrizya was unbothered. It seemed as though he had switched places with the echo, and his sword came down towards his body again. With a wave of his hand across his chest, Caleb stopped the sword with a shield of energy, and he took a shuddering breath. He could feel himself starting to slip. The shield materialized in time, but he needed to stop this fight quickly. He managed another quick motion for more missiles, making them more powerful than necessary, but they were the only thing he knew would be able to hit Vorrizya.

While Caleb’s hands started moving, a starburst of pain exploded from behind his skull, and he stumbled forwards, looking back to see that Vorrizya had changed positions yet again, switching with another echo. He  _ had _ to be running low on that ability, or else Caleb would end up failing. Even still, his hands were moving, quickly weaving out shapes that he knew, even if he couldn’t for the life of him explain nor replicate outside of this moment. 

And time pulled back. 

It wasn’t long, and Caleb found himself caught in the reversed tide, but the pain in his head faded. When things went right again, he took two steps to the right, watching as Vorrizya stumbled and lost his footing, as though he had expected to brace himself on an impact with Caleb’s head. 

That was...unusual.

Caleb’s hands didn’t stop, weaving out other motions, pulling out a lead nugget he had entirely forgotten about placing into the pouch weeks ago. Lucky, as it meant that he was able to perform this spell. With the final motion of the spell, lead weight dropping into his hand, Vorrizya dropped to the ground. 

_ Gravity magic was so inelegant, but it usually stops Echo Knights in their tracks. _

That thought required a moment’s pause, Caleb feeling his face twist and his nose wrinkle as he processed just what he thought and how exactly he knew that, as well as the spell he had just performed. However, the knight was still struggling to his feet, despite the gravity, and Caleb needed to finish things. The weight went back into his pouch, and he finally found the golden thread he had been looking for the entire fight. A quick cat’s cradle later, and Vorrizya burned, reduced to ashes in moments, and Caleb was already turning to Essek’s side, knees bumping against his ribs as he tried to figure out whether he was alive or not.


End file.
